The Mirror
by WarriorCatKowalski
Summary: A ray that bends space and time hits a mirror. Now something is a bit off with Kowalski's reflection, but nobdy believes him. Private tries to help him, but it turns out that someone nobody expected might just be the one who helps Kowalski the most
1. Chapter 1

The Mirror: Chapter 1

Kowalski slipped on his science goggles. He watched as the colorful sparks ignited, and focused intently on his work. He didn't hear Private enter the lab.

"Kowalski?" The younger penguin asked.

Kowalski, startled, lost his focus and one of the sparks burnt his right flipper. "Ow!" He cried.

Private's face got a guilty look.

"No… ugh, it's ok Private… what did you want?" Kowalski said, holding his flipper as the sparks died out quickly.

"I… just wanted to see what you were doing" Private replied innocently.

Kowalski laughed softly under his breath as he got out a cloth and wrapped it around his flipper. "Well I WAS, working on my latest invention, but I guess now I'm wrapping a wound" He said with the slightest bit of amusement.

Private waddled over to Kowalski's side, and noticed a large mirror. That was a bit taller then Kowalski. "Is the mirror part of the invention?" Private asked.

Kowalski smiled, "no, Skipper couldn't find anywhere to put it, so he put it in here."

"Oh, so that's the mirror he looked at his sheriff costume in?" Private chuckled.

Kowalski nodded. There was a short pause, "so… do you want to know what my latest invention is?" Kowalski asked Private.

Private looked at the table. There was a small ray gun. "Sure Kowalski" He smiled.

Kowalski held it up, "this, is the time gun. It allows me to freeze or rewind time. Maybe to change something that shouldn't have happened… or it's… supposed too…"

Private smiled, even if Kowalski's invention's didn't always work, Private still looked up to the strategist, well, metaphorically… but he did literally look up to Kowalski too, the penguin was taller then him. "Is it ready for testing yet?" He asked.

Kowalski thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure… I don't know if it needs anything added yet…"

"That's what testing determines doesn't it?" Private asked putting on his best adorable face. He liked to see Kowalski's invention's before they were ready. Not only was it cool to see what Kowalski could invent, if they went a bit haywire, it was fun to fix.

Kowalski sighed giving in, and gave the little ray gun to Private.

Private looked around the room, and knocked over one of Kowalski's empty test tubes. Kowalski gasped. "I want to see if it can fix it." Private explained. He aimed for the shattered glass, and fired. Unfortunately, the ray bounced off that glass. Private ducked but the ray still bounced around the room.

Private and Kowalski hopped around frantically trying to not get hit by the ray. After bouncing off the ceiling the ray then headed for the mirror. But surprisingly, instead of bouncing off the mirror… it dissolved into it. Ripples of bright green faded into the mirror.

Private bit down on his flippers in nervousness. "What… happened?" He asked slowly.

Kowalski took off his science glasses and slowly walked towards the mirror. He looked at his reflection. It was normal. "It… doesn't look like anything happened to the mirror…" He ran his flipper down the glass. "The glass is fine…" He felt drops of water, "but it's… a bit wet…"

Private was about to reply, when Skipper called them. "We should look at it again later Skipper needs us." Private said. The young penguin left Kowalski's lab in a nervous rush.

Kowalski looked at his reflection for a while. The glass was… almost… not wet… soft. That didn't make any sense. He removed his flipper, had his ray changed the matter of the glass? It was supposed to bend the rules of time and space, not bend the rules of solids, liquids, and gases! Kowalski turned to leave, but felt a slight chill run down his spine.

He turned back to his reflection. _Is my reflection…_ He practically slapped himself in mid thought, _no, that's stupid. It's a MIRROR. If I'm looking at it, then of course my reflection is looking at me… uugh… I'm just a little un-easy abut not knowing what the ray does.. That's all _he thought.

Kowalski turned and left the lab. As the door closed slowly Kowalski didn't look back, and ignored the feeling that someone was looking at him… he hadn't noticed his reflection had never turned around.


	2. Chapter 2

The Mirror: Chapter 2

Kowalski opened his lab door, and stepped in. Private said he would be coming soon. The scientist looked around his lab. His eyes finally landing on the mirror he cautiously moved towards it. He looked at his reflection for a while, and reached out to touch the glass. _Why is it so soft? _He thought, _it's almost like… water…_

"Hey Kowalski!" Private smiled from behind the strategist. "Did you see anything different?"

Kowalski shook his head, but then he got an idea. "Private… could you… touch the glass for a second? See if you notice anything?"

Private waddled over to the glass and placed his flipper on it. "It doesn't feel any different Kowalski… it's not wet either…"

Kowalski looked at his flippers. _Why couldn't Private feel what he had felt on the glass?_

"Just… testing Private…" He said hesitantly, and picked up the ray gun.

"Maybe… the ray just… died out or something, maybe it didn't do anything! Or maybe it does work and… I don't know, restored the mirror's original look… which was not that different then it already had looked…" Private tried to find an explanation.

Kowalski sighed, "yeah… maybe your right…"

Private smiled, "want to go get some snow cones!" Private exclaimed.

Kowalski smiled as the slight tension broke. "Maybe… I could bring t he ray gun…"

"To test? Sure, but you're buying my snow cone" Private smiled, and waddled to the door.

_I think he just tricked me into buying him a snow cone! _Kowalski thought, but he examined the gun and the mirror one more time, "I have to find out what happened…" He thought out loud, and went off to follow Private, ray gun in hand.

. . .

"I love the rainbow cone!" Private said smiling, as he licked his snow cone. Just entering the zoo.

Kowalski nodded, and held the ray gun softly in his right flipper, which was still wrapped, and his snow cone in his left flipper.

Private extended his open flipper, "let me help you carry that"

Kowalski shook his head but Private persisted. "Private!" He growled, and dropped the gun, "uh-oh" He said. The ray bounced around the zoo, entering the lemur habitat.

. . .

"Oh! Look how handsome you are!" Julien cooed to his reflection in his small mirror. There was a bright light and a ray hit Julien's mirror. Julien widened his eyes as the mirror rippled.

"You're looking pretty good too!" A voice said.

"What? Who's there?" Julien panicked, and then he looked at his reflection, and felt the glass, it was like water.

"Right here silly, wow you must really be the opposite of me, cause you, are, dumb!" His reflection laughed.

Julien screamed and dropped the mirror. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kowalski and Private appear.

"Julien what happened?" Private exclaimed.

"I was just sitting here! When this lazar came out of nowhere!" Julien made several lazar noises, "ZAP ZAP ZAP! And then, my mirror was like… water or something… and my reflection began talking to me!"

There was a silence, and Private exchanged a glance with Kowalski. "Ummm… ok…" Private said.

"Oh? You think the king is crazy? FINE! You can think I am crazy, but just take this ghostly mirror away from me!" Julien picked the mirror up and gave it to Kowalski.

Kowalski and Private exchanged a few more glances, and made their way over to the penguin HQ.

. . .

Private was with Skipper, and Rico; while Kowalski was in his lab. The strategist observed the mirror. As he felt the glass it felt like any other mirror would have felt… like… glass. Then Kowalski remembered how Private had not been able to feel what Kowalski had felt when he had asked the younger penguin to feel the mirror. But still… his mirror was not like water…

Kowalski waddled over to the mirror again. He felt the glass hesitantly. It had gotten even more like liquid... Kowalski thought for a moment. Maybe Julien wasn't crazy… maybe the size difference could have caused the lemur's mirror to just… change more quickly. Kowalski gave his reflection a last glance, and then looked down at his feet. Or maybe Kowalski was just as crazy as Julien… he took a deep breath; he had to question the lemur. Kowalski looked up.

His eyes widened in fear, and he screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

The Mirror: Chapter 3

A scream was heard from Kowalski's lab. Skipper stood up abruptly at the sound of it only to have to duck as the lazar of one of the penguins weapons shot through Kowalski's door.

Skipper, Rico, and Private burst into Kowalski's lab. "Kowalski!" Private wailed. The older penguin was practically shaking on the floor. 

Skipper ran to his lieutenant's side. "Kowalski? Kowalski did you drop one of our weapons? What happened?"

Kowalski shook his head, "he- he did it!" Kowalski said pointing at the mirror.

The three other penguin exchanged glances. "Kowalski… you must have hit you're head when you ducked…" Skipper mumbled, helping Kowalski up.

Kowalski shook his head, "no. It was him. I saw him…"

"Kowalski it's a reflection, whatever it did you did!" Private explained.

Kowalski gave him a disbelieving look. "Private! I know it's a reflection! But that mirror… maybe the ray did do something… weird to it!"

Skipper shook his head, "he's definitely out of it. Rico! Take Kowalski to his bed"

"What? No! Rico wait!" Kowalski said, but Rico used a move he had learned in a fighting class, and Kowalski then went unconscious; Rico smiled and carried the penguin over his shoulder to his bed.

Skipper shook his head, "remind me to tell Rico to fix that hole in the wall" Skipper told Private, and left the room.

Private fiddled with his flippers for a bit. _Kowalski would never believe such a crazy thing like that… _private felt the strange feeling of someone watching him, and he turned towards he mirror. Through the glass of the mirror he saw Julien's small mirror Kowalski had taken. He took the mirror, and Shaking the feeling of being watched off him, he left the room.

Kowalski's reflection then came back in sight from the corner of the mirror. He picked up the gun and smiled, and then he walked right through the glass of the mirror, and put the gun back where he found it.

. . .

Kowalski blinked awake in his bunk. Rico smiled at him while brushing his doll's hair. Kowalski narrowed his eyes, "never. Do that again." He warned his teammate, and jumped out of his bed stretching.

"Hey Kowalski, I trust your heads on right now?" Skipper smiled.

Kowalski didn't want another forced rest, so he just nodded.

Private came down to the HQ, and smiled at the sight of Kowalski. "Kowalski! You're awake!" He waddled over to the older penguin.

"Private? Where were you?" Kowalski asked.

Private whispered softly to Kowalski, "Julien wanted to talk to you…"

Kowalski raced off to the lemur habitat. Rico and Skipper exchanged a glance as Private went to watch TV with a worried look on his face, "let's just sit and wait for whatever that was to play out… then when it involves us we'll get involved" Skipper said.

"good plan" Rico smirked.

. . .

Kowalski leapt into the lemur habitat. Julien was sitting a good 4 feet away from his mirror.

"Smarty Penguin! I have been waiting for you! You kept me waiting for five minutes with… that… THING!" He pointed at the mirror.

Kowalski picked up the mirror. And stood next to Julien. Julien's reflection looked around. "Is someone gonna come out and smash my mirror or something?" It asked cautiously.

Julien had a sour expression on his face. "I wish" He said.

"I've got a few questions for you" Kowalski told the mirror. "Do you know how you were brought to life?"

The reflection of Julien looked at him with a smile. "We were always alive you silly penguin, your little ray gun just broke the portal between our two worlds"

"What does that mean?" Julien asked.

"No don't answer that question" Kowalski added. "Why isn't my reflection alive in this mirror?"

"Well, when you're ray gun hit the mirror, it only broke the portal for the reflections being shown. And only in THAT mirror."

Kowalski thought for a moment, "wait… if you say… broke the portal… and… the mirror was… like… water…"

"Could you walk through the mirror?" Julien asked.

His reflection rolled his eyes, "not in this mirror, it's way to small, I could never fit through here, neither could you're reflection… lucky you"

"but if it was a full sized mirror could… wait, what do you mean lucky me?" Kowalski asked.

"It's… it's a full sized mirror!" Julien's reflection panicked, "and- and it's you're reflection!"

Julien and Kowalski exchanged a worried glance, "what's wrong with that?" Julien asked. The mirror mimicked him.

"Hello?" Kowalski asked.

The reflection gave him a sad look, "I- I can't help you… I'm sorry… if it already feels like water… it's already too late…"

"What are you talking about?" Kowalski asked, panicking.

"You're only bet is to destroy the mirror…"

"What are you say-.. what's wrong with my reflec-"

"Destroy. That. Mirror." The reflection warned, "destroy it, and never put the pieces back together."


	4. Chapter 4

The Mirror: Chapter 4

"But Skipper-"

"No "buts" Kowalski!" Skipper retorted. "You have got to get it through your head! There is no such thing as "evil reflections"!"

"I never said "evil reflections"!" Kowalski cut in.

"It doesn't matter!" Skipper continued, "why can't you just admit your mistake! Rico already fixed the wall, it's not like it's such a big deal!"

Kowalski took a deep breath. "Skipper, I don't care about the wall right now! You know what, just blame me for the wall… I don't care! But you have got to believe me! I am not making this up out of nowhere!"

Private watched the scene with his back turned to the TV. _What's wrong with Kowalski? I would think he would have given up by now… _The penguin thought.

"Kowalski, go get your head straight, I'm assigning you to recon duty" Skipper announced.

"But Skipper-"

"Kowalski!" Skipper snapped.

"fine…" Kowalski sighed. He left the HQ, and went to the top of the zoo entrance. He watched the small carousel spin for a while. _I'm not crazy… _Kowalski thought, _this whole situation might be crazy… but I'm not… I know what I know… I'm just reacting to the information I was given…._

. . .

Private snuck out of the HQ, and went off to go find Kowalski…

"Kowalski? " Private asked as he saw the older penguin sitting in front of the small carousel. The ledge was just wide enough for him to sit comfortably.

"Oh, hello Private…" Kowalski smiled weakly.

Private sat next to him. "Kowalski… are you ok?"

Kowalski looked at his younger teammate. "Private… I know you think I must be crazy"

Private sighed, "yeah… I'm sorry it's just…"

"this mirror thing… it's just…. I can't explain everything to you at once I…"

"Smarty Penguin!" Julien jumped towards them suddenly.

"Where did you come from?" Private asked.

"No time! Smarty penguin come with me!" Julien grabbed Kowalski's flipper and dragged him over to the penguin HQ. Finally getting Kowalski into his lab.

"Well that was… un-comfortable." Kowalski said, straightening his back. "I think you bent my spine"

Julien rolled his eyes and took out his mirror. Julien's reflection was already there even though Julien was facing Kowalski and the big mirror, and holding the mirror in front of him.

"But… if you're not…. You know… how is you're reflection showing if you're not looking in the mirror?... and where were you keeping that mirror?"

"Sheesh stop asking stupid questions!" Julien retorted.

His reflection gave Kowalski a disappointed look, and pointed behind Kowalski. "Why isn't that mirror destroyed? Why did you not listen to me!"

Kowalski let out an annoyed breath, "nobody believes me! And the mirror wasn't even my mirror in the first place, it's Skipper's! And if he doesn't believe me, then why would he let me smash the mirror!"

"Well you have to destroy it, trust me! I've spoke with your reflection before… he's… planned things… you have no idea what he has in store!"

Julien looked at his reflection and Kowalski fighting. But suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Kowalski wasn't facing the mirror so his reflection wasn't facing Julien at the time, but as Kowalski argued… Kowalski's reflection slowly turned his head. "uh… K- Kowalski?"

"Well it's not my fault! My whole team thinks I'm crazy, I have a half a mind to give up science for all this WEIRD stuff happening, how do I know if I should even believe you I mean-" Kowalski was cut short by Julien's reflection.

"Did you even think about what might happen if I'm right then? If you don't believe me?" the reflection argued.

"I've got a lot going on!"

"K- Kowalski…." Julien whimpered.

Suddenly Julien's reflection saw it too.

"What are you staring at?" Kowalski asked. But then he turned around.

His reflection was staring at him with a devilish grin on its face. It stepped through the glass slowly. The portal rippling as it was passed through.

Kowalski backed up one step, his foot trembling; despite him trying to maintain a stoic expression he was visually horrified.

The reflection's grin widened, and his eyes narrowed. "Hello Kowalski"


	5. Chapter 5

The Mirror: Chapter 5

Kowalski backed up until he was next to Julien.

"What's a matter? You're not scared are you?" His reflection taunted.

"Why are you here? W- Why don't you just stay in the mirror where you belong?" Kowalski stuttered.

"Because he doesn't follow the rules! He's evil! The exact opposite of you Kowalski! The only difference between him and the other entire hero's reflections is that he's not satisfied with what he has in his world." Julien's reflection hissed.

"Shut-up" Kowalski's reflection retorted.

Kowalski couldn't find his words. He and Julien stood closely.

"Come on Kowalski, I thought you would have been smart enough to figure all this out. It's quite embarrassing and disappointing I must say." Kowalski's reflection smiled, stepping closer to Kowalski.

"Leave Kowalski be, there's a natural order that you can't change, and you aren't going to change it now!" Julien's reflection continued.

Kowalski took a jab step at Julien and grabbed the mirror. Throwing it to the ground and smiling evilly as the pieces shattered.

Julien's ear's flattened and he hid behind Kowalski. "Kowalski… options?" He whimpered.

Kowalski back over towards the door. Julien slipped out of the lab but before Kowalski could get out his reflection blocked the door. He was much faster then Kowalski. Kowalski thought quickly… he had to destroy the mirror!

"You're world's so easy, you think you have it hard? Imagine living in a world that's mostly villains" Kowalski's reflection followed him as Kowalski backed up slowly. "It's much harder"

Kowalski backed up into a table, and searched with his good flipper for something he could throw. His flipper landed on one of the team's weapons.

"I didn't really want to be a villain you know." The reflection leaned closer and grabbed Kowalski's flipper that was on the weapon. "But I'm pretty good at it."

Kowalski released a yelp of pain as his reflection leaned back and used the flipper to throw Kowalski. The strategist hit a wall, and he shakily got up.  
"Kowalski, you can't beat me. Get that through you're head. I'm better then you."

Kowalski glared at his reflection and threw a punch, but his reflection caught it, and threw him again. Kowalski felt like a helpless child. As he got up a second time he stumbled backwards a bit and felt something incredibly cold on his back. Like a freezing pool of water.

"I'm sorry I have to do this Kowalski I really am" His reflection said with a hint of sarcasm.

Kowalski realized his back was in the mirror, but when he tried to come out his reflection went in front of him. "Why are you doing this? If what Julien's reflection said was right, and you are a villain… wouldn't you WANT to live in a world like that?"

"A world full of idiotic villains? Oh please, there are no heroes or innocent people in my world anymore. It's just not fun anymore" He gripped Kowalski's shoulder's, "besides, I promised Skipper, Rico, and Private I'd get them a slave. There aren't many of those around anymore"

Kowalski's eyes widened in fear and his reflection pushed him fully into the mirror. Kowalski landed with a thud, and he got up weakly and banged on the glass.

"The portal's only good for one exchange per ray. Funny, that's another thing I thought you would have figured out…" The reflection smiled and left the room.

Kowalski felt a little weak as the reflection left the room. And when his reflection was gone he realized that, that copy of him had become a real person. Kowalski was just a reflection. The strategist groaned as a pain spread through his body. And someone came up behind him, and laughed.

"Looks like Kowalski kept his promise." The reflection said.

Kowalski trembled in pain and a flipper was placed on his shoulder,

"Don't worry, once you're a full reflection, parting with your person won't hurt anymore." The reflection smiled, "but what my boys and I are going to do to you if you don't listen… will."

Kowalski weakly looked up, and he thought he who he was looking at was Skipper. But he knew that it probably wasn't.


	6. Chapter 6

The Mirror: Chapter 6

Private entered the HQ slowly. Kowalski was seated at the table in the middle reading a book. "Kowalski?" he asked hesitantly.

Kowalski looked up, suprised and put the book down. "Hello Private" He said with a smile Private had never seen before.

_There's something... weird about him... _Private thought. Kowalski didn't look quite right, but he didn't want to push his luck with all that's been going on, so he sat across from the scientist. "So... what happened... you know... when Julien pulled you away before"

Kowalski got that smile again, "oh... nothing Private." He smiled, "just... had a few... problems, to clear up" Kowalski got up.

Private's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Kowalski's flippers. _Didn't he burn his RIGHT flipper? Not his left? _He thought.

"Now you seem like you're out of it Private" Kowalski said in a smirk voice.

Private gave a weak smile, "oh... no I'm fine..." Private replied.

"Come on" Kowalski said motioning Private to the hatch of the HQ, "let's go get some snow cones, get our minds off things"

Private followed Kowalski slowly, giving one last hesitant glance the door of Kowalski's lab he left. But something still seemed wrong...

Kowalski smiled absently as the wind brushed past his feather's. _There's no air like this in the mirror world anymore _He thought. _I bet most of them don't even appreciate it... _

Private found himself staring at Kowalski's wounded LEFT flipper again. This was crazy. There was no way... a reflection could come alive... but... what if it had happened? Private thought about how much Kowalski had believed that he had actually seen his reflection... move. "hey... um... Kowalski..." Private said, gazing at Kowalski's burned left flipper still.

"Yes young Private?" Kowalski asked.

"Can... can I check something real quick..." Kowalski had NEVER called Private, young Private, before, "I think I left something in the HQ, um... I'm just going to go look for it..."

He ran into the HQ before Kowalski could reply, and ran into the lab.

. . .

Reflection Skipper watched as the real Kowalski sat with his head in his flippers. He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit... sad for him. He shook his head, _regret is only for fools_ he thought.

Kowalski sighed and looked at the mirror. A reflection of the lab and everything in the lab... except Kowalski and reflection Skipper. It was all true. This wasn't just some crazy dream... he was nothing more then a reflection. He thought that he could barely see a bit of a reflection... but it was fading as he lost his life. And became a reflection. Suddenly he saw the door open. And Private stepped in.

As Private's reflection walked in and mimicked him Kowalski saw the hatred in reflection Private's eyes. But Priva couldn't see that. Suddenly Kowalski got an idea. If he was still partially alive... then couldn't Private see him? Kowalski went up to the mirror. As desperately pleaded with his eyes still broken, a spark of hope filled him as Private squinted his eyes and looked closer at the mirror. He saw the faded version of Kowalski.

Kowalski's eye's widened. "wait a second..." He thought back to when his reflection had picked up the gun and tried to shoot him... his reflection was only barely alive then... and that was because of the ray... Kowalski grabbed the ray gun from the mirror world.

"What do you think you're doing?" Reflection Skipper warned.

Kowalski ignored him, and pulled the trigger. With the gun, pointing at himself.

. . .

Private thought he saw a faded version of Kowalski... but that was stupid. It couldn't be. He broken heartedly turned around, but then he heard Kowalski.

"PRIVATE!" Kowalski called.

Private looked around in shock, and then he saw Kowalski. "Kowalski?" He cried.

"Private! Private you see me! That's not me! I'm me! I mean... yeah that's not me that you might have seen out there! He trapped me in here! I'm the real Kowalski."

Private believed every word that was spoken. The reflection had a burn, on his RIGHT flipper. "Kowalski? How do I get you out of here?"

Kowalski banged on the glass. "Uugh, shooting myself must have only caused a temperary effect..." He said. "You have to get my reflection to get close to the mirror! It's the only way too-" Kowalski froze. "PRIVATE GET DOWN!"

Private hesitated for a second and then ducked. Rico's sushi knife flew over him... and smashed the mirror.

Private turned around, shaking in fear. "But... Kowalski was in there..."

Reflection Kowalski stood at the door with a disapointed expression his face. "Tisk Tisk Private. You shouldn't have been snooping in Kowalski's lab"


	7. Chapter 7

The Mirror: Chapter 7

"Uugh!" Kowalski grunted as he was thrown to the floor, by Reflection Rico.

"I gotta say I'm impressed, you managed to both kill all chances of you escaping AND get rid of my stupid person for a while" Reflection Private smiled.

Kowalski tried to get up weakly but reflection Rico held him down, laughing.

Reflection Skipper sat at the table thinking, _why doesn't he give in?_

Reflection Rico sat him up roughly and looked at Reflection Skipper. "What are we going to do with him?" R. Rico smirked.

R. Skipper took a deep breath. "Keep him here. I'd like to speak with him"

R. Private and Rico exchanged glances and nodded at their leader. Then they left the lab.

R. Skipper watched as Kowalski slowly got up. His eyes never leaving R. Skipper; assuming the worst. Skipper shook his head, "Get over here Kowalski, I just want to talk."

Kowalski hesitantly went over and took a seat across from R. Skipper.

"You can't win" Skipper said, "There is no way that you could ever win. Why don't you just give up?"

Kowalski thought about this for a moment, "because I was taught to never give up. No matter how bad a situation is… the only things I ever think about are ways to escape… there's always a slight chance that you need to find."

R. Skipper looked at him intently.

"Not like you would know anything about that. Honor… justice… trust."

R. Skipper narrowed his eyes. He hadn't heard those words for a long time. "You really aren't scared by any of this are you?"

Kowalski shook his head, "and if you're trying to intimidate me I'm certainly not afraid of you either"

R. Skipper narrowed his eyes, "you really are smart, I respect that"

Kowalski crossed his arms, "oh really?"

"Sure" Skipper replied

"So… my reflection lied"

"What?"

"You weren't the leader were you? He DID chose to be a villian"

"What… what are you talking about?"

"My reflection was the leader before you were, you're only leader because my reflection left, but let me ask you something…"

R. Skipper glared at him.

"This whole villain thing. Is it what YOU want to be known for? A dirty horrible villain? You have a strong team. You can turn all this around." Kowalski explained. "The mirror world doesn't have to be dark"

"Like I would ever want to change anything" R. Skipper replied, "let's go"

As R. Skipper left Kowalski followed him, but as soon as the entered the HQ R. Private grabbed him.

"Don't think you might actually enjoy it here. You're worthless. One talk isn't going to happen often with the captain" R. Private growled.

"PRIVATE!" R. Skipper snapped, "get over here"

R. Private scowled and went over to R. Skipper the two had a conversation that Kowalski couldn't here. R. Rico kept an iron gaze on Kowalski. Kowalski started to back up, but R. Rico growled, and Kowalski decided staying still would be the best thing to do.

"Skipper! Why are you treating him like a guest! He is our SLAVE!" R. Private hissed.

R. Skipper shook his head, "not yet. He's not afraid of us yet"

A devilish smile crossed R. Private's face. "Does that mean-"

R. Skipper slapped him. Leaving R. Private to wipe the grin from his face, "of course it means that you idiot."

R. Private nodded this time only letting a small smile cross his face.

"good, so you know what to do." R. Skipper smirked, "show him how things are in our world"

R. Skipper left the HQ, but paused by the fishbowl hatch, and waited. After waiting for a few minutes, he listened as Kowalski's screams of agony began. Of course, he had not forgotten Kowalski's words, _this whole villain thing. Is it what YOU want to be known for?_ R. Skipper shook his head, sure R. Kowalski had been the power crazy one… but since then R. Skipper had been along with him… R. Skipper closed the hatch. The HQ was sound proof but the screams still echoed in his head. _You're living a LIE! _They began to say, _You're hurting an innocent person. You're torturing the one person who ever proved to you that reflections don't have to be dark._

Back in the HQ, Kowalski couldn't scream anymore, warm tears came down his cheeks as he wept. He had failed, nobody was going to save him… and his reflection would harm his friends… and there was nothing… he could do about it. He let out a shriek as Rico got another blow at him. His flippers stung from the ropes that bound them together.

. . .

Skipper entered the HQ. He was surprised when he didn't see anyone in the HQ. "Kowalski? Private!" He called.

Rico pointed at the lab door.

"Yeah you're right Rico, they might be in there"

. . .


	8. Chapter 8

The Mirror: Chapter 8

Skipper cautiously entered the lab. He was shocked when he found the mirror shattered, and lots of bottles knocked down on the floor.

"Woah..." Rico said, and cautiously walking towards the shattered mirror. Finding his sushi knife on the floor he picked up. _what was this doing here? _he thought.

Skipper walked towards the shattered glass. Where were Kowalski and Private? What happened here?

"Oh, hello Skipper" A voice said from behind him.

Skipper turned to see Kowalski standing at the door. "Kowalski?" Skipper asked, strangely sensing something... different about his trusted luetinent.

"I'm so sorry for the mess, I was testing out an invention and unfortunately it went haywire and Private fell into the mirror. I was just out taking him to the zoo's medical office"

Skipper nodded slowly, "where did... that scratch come from?"

Kowalski felt his cheek, _uugh! Private must have cut me before I could trap him! I should have gotten the knife from him quicker! _"oh... uh this? Nothing, just some stray glass that must have brushed past me!

Rico widened his eyes. He hid his sushi knife. He knew that Kowalski was lying. That looked like a cut from a knife, a tray peice of glass wouldn't have cut that much! But Rico decided not to ay anything... he didn't know what had happened, and he couldn't just assume things!

"Oh, ok..." Skipper said hesitantly. "I should... go see Private-"

"No... there are too many people around him now... maybe tonight or tommorow you can see him" Kowalski replied smoothly.

Skipper nodded slowly and left the lab, Rico slowly followed him, and Kowalski was the last to leave.

. . .

Skipper sent Kowalski and Rico out to do some recon, and then stirred his coffee nervously. _Poor Private... I wonder if he's ok... _Skipper thought. He got up. Kowalski had said that there would be alot of humans around... but Skipper might just be able to get in for a while and talk to Private.

Skipper hurried over to the Animal Clinic, and cautiously crept in. He didn't know which room Private was in so he swiftly got past the few people's feet, and then he decided to go through the vents. After moving throught the vents and looking down into a few rooms Skipper began to hear something. Almost like... someone struggling. He moved closer to the sound and went down into the room he thought it was coming from. It was a bit dark, and as Skipper's eyes adjusted to the lighting he saw someone in the corner. It was... Private!

Private's eyes widened and he struggled even more frantically.

Skipper ran over to him and took of the cloth covering the young penguin's mouth.

Private sighed in relief and looked up at Skipper. "Skippa! That's not Kowalski!"

"Kowalski did this to you! That lier!" Skipper growled

"No Skipper it wasn't Kowalski! The penguin who told you I got hurt from crashing into the mirror wasn't Kowalski!"

"What are you talking about Private?" Skipper asked.

"Kowalski wasn't crazy! His reflection was brought to life by a haywire invention and now... it trapped Kowalski in the mirror, took his life... smashed the mirror, and... I don't know what he's planning but... it's really bad!" Private said.

Skipper widened his eyes, "Private that is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard!"

Private shook his head, "I know Skippa but it's all true! Please! Believe me! We don't have much time left!"

Skipper hesitated. "Private are you ok? Kowalski tied you up you might really hurt..."

"Kowalski didn't do this to me!" Private cried, "if you don't believe me... I'll... I'll prove it to you!"


	9. Chapter 9

The Mirror: Chapter 9

~ The Mirror World, all characters are reflections except Kowalski ~

Skipper walked slowly around the zoo, his thoughts wondering around, he wasn't able to focus clearly. But he had made up his mind, he wasn't going to change the mirror world, he'll always be a villain. That's just the way he was.

"YOU!" A voice called.

Skipper turned slowly and saw Julien jump beside him.

"Where's Kowalski! The REAL Kowalski!" Julien growled

Skipper narrowed his eyes, "in the REAL world, where else would he be?"

"I know you have him here, THIS world's Kowalski came into the real world. And I'm sure he dragged the real Kowalski into this world!"

Skipper sighed, "he's not the real Kowalski anymore, he'll never be the same, he belongs to the Mirror world now."

Julien got closer to Skipper, "let me speak to him"

"He's not the same" Skipper warned

"Let. Me. Speak to him"

~ Real World ~

Rico sat in front of the T.V., but he wasn't focused on the show he was watching. He kept thinking back to his knife, and the cut on Kowalski's cheek. Something wasn't right… he turned his head a bit to look at Kowalski.

Kowalski was sitting at the table in the middle of the HQ. _Where is Skipper… I bet he went to the Animal Clinic… he must have found Private… that stupid fledgling must have told him everything…_

Rico couldn't help but not be able to recognize his close friend. Never before had the penguin acted so strangely. And how had he got a cut on his cheek? Did Private swing at him? But why would the innocent young penguin ever do anything like that?

Suddenly private came rushing down to the HQ, with Skipper right behind him.

"You're not Kowalski!" Private spat at the strategist.

The reflection smiled, "what's that supposed to mean?"

Private scowled, "you know what it means! "

Rico's eyes widened.

"Private… what are you going on about, I told you this was crazy!" Skipper lectured.

Private shook his head, "no! It might be crazy, but you have to take this seriously Skippa! I'm telling the truth!"

Kowalski rolled his eyes, "who am I then?" He asked, clearly amused.

"You're the reflection!" Private replied, then he turned back to Skipper, "Skippa Kowalski was telling the truth when he said his reflection shot the gun! It's ALL true! All of it!"

Skipper shook his head, "Private…"

Rico stood up, "I believe him" he said in a gruff voice.

"Rico, not you too…" Skipper sighed. "What have you guys got against Kowalski? He's not that bad!"

Kowalski rolled his eyes.

Private gave him a thankful look and continued, "Skipper, Kowalski burned his right flipper, but his REFLECTION burned his left."

Private had turned to Skipper, and Rico saw out of the corner of his eye "Kowalski" started to creep towards the exit.

Skipper kept arguing with Private for a while, and Kowalski continued to make his way towards the exit. Then he made a dash for it.

"HEY!" Rico pointed at him.

Skipper turned and Private chased after Kowalski. Skipper looked back at Rico as the weapons penguin approached. "Should I believe him?" Skipper asked.

Rico hesitated for a second but went with his gut, "yup"

Skipper nodded more confident, and he and Rico gave chase to the culprit.

~ Mirror World ~

Julien went down into the HQ.

Skipper turned away as Kowalski approached.

Kowalski was bruised and broken. Rico and Private stood on either side of him, ready to catch him if he tried to run.

"Kowalski?" Julien asked, not believing his eyes.

"Yes Julien…?" Kowalski replied broken-heartedly.

"Kowalski what happened?" Julien asked.

Kowalski shook his head, "I- I wouldn't describe it even if I was allowed to…"

Rico got a sly smile on his face.

Julien took a small step forward. "If… if you were allowed to? Kowalski… Kowalski no. What are you talking about!"

"He belongs to us. He doesn't choose what he's allowed to say or do" Private smirked.

"No! He's a person, he doesn't belong here!" Julien took another few steps forward and Rico harshly pulled Kowalski backward. "Don't treat him like that!" Julien growled.

Skipper put a flipper on Julien's shoulder, "Julien, it's exactly what you'd expect. What? Did you think he would actually last?"

Julien moved Skipper's flipper away, "Skipper, if reflection Kowalski gets out into the real world he WILL do anything to get his way! You might not even exist if the real Skipper gets in his way!"

Skipper raised an eyebrow.

"We have to get Kowalski back into the real world where he belongs!" Julien told him.

"I am" Kowalski whispered.

Julien looked at him. "What?"

"I am where I belong Julien… I've failed… I let everyone down" Kowalski said.

Rico smiled again, and began counting the number of cuts and bruises he had made, while Private narrowed his eyes at Julien.

"What… Kowalski what's gotten into you?" Julien asked disbelievingly. Kowalski was the only one left who could save the real world…

"We do our job very well in this unit" Skipper smirked. "we scar people, make them forget who they are… Like I said, he'll never be the same."


	10. Chapter 10

The Mirror: Chapter 10

~Real World~

Private dashed after the reflection. Luckily the younger penguin was fast, and he was able to keep up.

Skipper and Rico fell in behind him, Skipper then got an idea. He and Rico stopped and turned different ways, "Private! Lead him to the entrance of the zoo!" Skipper called.

Private then slid on his belly and was able to get Kowalski to turn towards the zoo entrance by coming in on his right.

Skipper and Rico were waiting there.

Kowalski stopped and a cage fell on him, and trapped him.

_Where do those cages come from? _Private thought.

Skipper went up to the bars of the cage, "Where's the real Kowalski?" He questioned.

"Nowhere that you'll ever find him!" The reflection replied.

Rico growled and spit out his flamethrower.

The reflection smiled, "fine, you can hurt me however you like. But just remember, that if I go, you'll never see Kowalski again."

Rico hesitated and lowered his weapon. "Where's Kowalski?" He growled, repeating Skipper's question.

Private went up to the cage. "He was in the mirror when you smashed it, Where is he now?"

Kowalski narrowed his eyes, "Where else? In the mirror world. You'll never see him again. HE is the reflection now, not me! Like it or not like it, that's just the way life is, deal with it!"

Rico took an angry step foward, but Skipper held him back. "Is there anyway to get him back here?"

"Like I would ever tell you!"

Private put out his flipper, "Rico, Kowalski's invention please"

Rico put the gun in Private's flipper.

"Woah! Put that- put that away!" Kowalski trembled.

"Tell us how to get the real Kowalski back!" Private threatened the reflection with his flipper on the trigger.

Kowalski struggled to the back of the cage. "There is no way to get him back! The only way to get him back would be to go into Mirror World yourselves and go get him!"

"And how do we do that?" Skipper asked.

"You- You would have to shoot a broken mirror"

~Mirror World~

Skipper and Private had left the HQ, and Rico was supposed to make sure Kowalski stayed in the HQ while he talked to Julien.

"Kowalski I know they must have done horrible things to you but… please you have to believe me you're going to get out of this!"

Kowalski sighed, "Julien… why do you even care?"

"Because I care about the real world and the people there! Don't you! You've lived your entire life there! I only lived- I mean… I wish I had lived…."

"Did you just say you only lived?" Kowalski asked astonished.

Julien shook his head, "no… that… that was just a… slip of the tongue…"

Kowalski stared at him intently, "Julien…. I've got no secrets anymore. I was…. Beaten… injured…." Kowalski took a deep breath "violated…"

Julien's eyes widened, and he looked back at Rico. The penguins face got an evil smile on his face.

Julien looked back, "when that happened… was that when you…"

"lost hope? Yes… I… I believe so…" Kowalski whispered.

Julien sighed, "I… I should tell you… there are… a lot of time warps… every day involving this Mirror World…. Most of the people in the real world don't know about them… people… get… switched."

Kowalski gave him a confused look. "Switched?"

Julien paused for a while. "I never told anyone this… but… I am one of the few reflections… that did get switched. Or… should I say… people. That got switched"

Kowalski thought for a moment, "does… does that mean"

"Yeah… because of the time warps that sometimes happen in this world… when I was about… 8 years old or so… I switched with my reflection." Julien sighed again, "I'm not supposed to be here… it's too late for me to go back. It's been too long… but you. You still have a chance to go back and they… harmed you… because they knew that you had the strength to get out, but I know you can recover. You have friends that care about you, and I'm going to help you too! Because I know what it feels like to be separated from the people you love."

Kowalski took a moment to let it sink in. "but… what if I still fail… they'll…. They'll hurt me again…:"

Julien shook his head, "please Kowalski. I grew up for the better half of my life here, I got used to it, because I was so young and… I had time to grow, and recover. But you've lived the better half of you're life in the REAL world! You're going to be constantly hurt if you stay here. They lied to you Kowalski; they're going to do what they did to you every single day if you stay here."

Rico came up behind them. "You, go now!" He growled.

Julien narrowed his eyes, "Skipper never put a limit to how long I stay here!"

Rico picked him up by his neck fur, "well if you're staying here to talk to the slave, then I don't need Skipper's approval to get you out of here."

"I- I'm not a slave!" Kowalski shakily shouted.

Rico tossed Julien to the side like a rag doll, and the lemur looked in horror as Rico forced Kowalski to the floor. "So the lemur gave you some of you're lost hope back?" Rico mocked, "Looks like I'll just have to get rid of it again…"

"No!" Kowalski cried, struggling in the stronger penguin's grip.

Julien filled with anger, and let every reason why he needed to protect Kowalski fill his head. He thought of protecting his family he had left behind from what Kowalski's reflection would do to them… and how Kowalski had just risked himself to protect him. Julien leapt onto Rico's back, "Don't touch him!"


	11. Chapter 11

The Mirror: Chapter 11

~Mirror World~

Rico struggled to remove Julien, but the lemur wouldn't let go. He got up and managed to pull him off finally, and threw him to the side.

Julien got up quickly, and narrowed his eyes. "We both know why he needs to be kept safe! How could you have possibly gone against everything we were told when we switched? We were the ones chosen to protect the real world!"

Rico smiled, "Protect? Oh please, the only thing I want is to destroy it. I was scarred because of the cruel, selfish people in the real world. They deserve to suffer! Just like I did. Kowalski already promised me to be his lieutenant"

Kowalski listened in confusion.

Julien shook his head, "you think he'll do that for you? He's tricking you! He's using your past against you! If you can't see the dangers that will happen if we don't protect Kowalski, then I'll just protect him myself!"

Kowalski widened his eyes. _Protect me? _Kowalski thought, _all that had happened… was it part of some sort of prophecy or something?_

"Protect him? You still honestly believe that he cold save anything?" Rico laughed, "did you not feel the difference when we became reflections? Did you not feel the energy moving through you?" Rico turned to Kowalski, "we're stronger then him, all reflections are stronger then the real world people, but we are stuck, in this stupid universe! We could rule the world!"

Julien scowled in disgust, "if every reflection entered the real world, we would destroy it!"

Rico narrowed his eyes, "That's what you think. But if you had adapted like I did, to this world as I did, you wouldn't still be thinking without ambition! You wouldn't still be thinking about you're stupid real world family!"

Julien leapt at him with blind fury, but Rico dodged him.

"You couldn't save them, and you won't save Kowalski" Rico taunted.

"Kowalski get out of here" Julien warned.

Kowalski dashed off to the exit but of course, Rico, like his reflection, was much faster then him.

Rico pinned Kowalski to the ground with ease. "Skipper, Private, fall in!" He called.

Skipper and Private came into the HQ.

Kowalski struggled under Rico's grasp as Rico instructed, "get the lemur"

Julien readied himself as Skipper and Private fell in.

Private lunged for Julien but the lemur dodged him. Grabbing the young penguin's leg he threw him at Skipper, and they both fell backwards.

Rico was distracted by this, and Kowalski freed one of his flippers and got a hard punch to Rico's face.

Kowalski got up as Rico fell backwards. And watched as he got back up.

Rico smiled, "Perhaps I underestimated you" He said. He threw a punch but Kowalski managed to dodge it. But only by a small distance.

~Real World~

Private readied the gun.

Kowalski narrowed his eyes, "you're risking a lot you know. You might just end up ruining everything. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Skipper silenced him, "don't try and act like you're smarter then us! We know you're not trustworthy."

Private pulled the trigger and the ray hit the broken mirror. Immediately a portal opened up. It was a bit startling and Private turned over to Skipper.

Skipper nodded, "me and Private will go, Rico you stay here and keep guard."

Rico nodded, and watched as Skipper and Private disappeared into the portal. But was surprised when they immediately came right back out. He thought about for a minute.

"You guys must be reflections…."

~Mirror World~

Rico, Kowalski, and Julien watched in surprise as Skipper and Private disappeared, and then reappeared.

(Now the only reflections are Julien and Rico)

Rico widened his eyes as a portal formed. He knew what it was and ran towards it but Julien stopped him.

Skipper had a confused look on his face. "Where… are we?" He asked, puzzled.

Kowalski had a smile on his face at the sigh of his friends. His REAL friends. "You're in a mirror" He replied.

"Kowalski!" Private cried happily and ran into Kowalski's arms. But then he saw the scratches and marks. "Kowalski! What did they do to you!" He exclaimed.

Kowalski sighed, "Private... I'll explain it all once we get out of here."

Skipper smiled warmly, and he and Private left for the portal.

Kowalski followed them but before he left he turned to Julien, who didn't have to hold Rico back anymore, and the lemur gave him a sad smile.

"I'm going to miss you Kowalski. But you have to go. Like I said, it's too late for me" Julien said.

"I've never met anybody who believed in me quite like you did…" Kowalski replied sadly.

"But remember Kowalski, I'm not the real person, I'm just a reflection. You know, who the real person is. We're a lot more alike then you might think" Julien said with a gentle smile.

Kowalski took a deep breath, and walked through the portal.

~Real World, next day~

Kowalski smiled, and Private gave him his blueberry smoothie.

Kowalski, Private, and Julien were in the lemur habitat.

Private smiled, and ran over to ask Maurice where he kept the rest of the fruits.

"Smoothies for everybody!" Julien smiled.

Kowalski looked intently at the lemur. "Hey… uh Julien?" Kowalski asked.

"Yes penguin?" Julien smiled.

"Do you remember when my… reflection… kind of… came out"

Julien nodded slowly.

"When you left me to fight on my own…" Kowalski twirled the straw in his smoothie.

"Yeah… I did look back." Julien smiled.

Kowalski widened his eyes.

"I would have stayed and helped you… if only I had the courage my reflection had!" Julien laughed.

Kowalski gave a small laugh, "I'm sure you will have that someday Julien. You and your reflection are a lot more alike then I first thought…"

The End


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